Chapter 4
"Though none of Oakhurst’s undead residents were able to tell me much about Jack Pyroscythe’s family, early life, or even his hometown, I was able to contact a very helpful archivist at the British Library in London. Apparently, one of the British Library’s longest standing benefactors had donated a box full of letters from the Pyroscythe household just a few weeks ago. I immediately asked who this benefactor was—could it have been one of the vampires keeping this rich resource of information from me, for whatever reason?—but was swiftly proven wrong when they told me that this was an organization, not an individual, and one that had donated hundreds of artifacts originating from all over the globe. It seems unlikely to me that any of the vampires would have spent any vacation time gathering and then donating what seemed to mostly be personal journals and letters from random people.
But I digress. Speculating on the origins of the box, though important, matters far less than finally getting to look at Jack Pyroscythe from an outside perspective—-a new perspective! A perspective that isn’t tainted by Oakhurst, her curse, and her residents. There’s more to him than just those final weeks."
-J. P.
From J.P's journal
by eclipsed_deoxi_22
…The old ladies at church have asked me now nearly a dozen times over the past weeks about what it felt like to first lay eyes on our son. I have very nearly run out of words to say on the subject, though I had little to begin with at all. I have perfected it into a dance, sister: first, I tilt my head back with my hand over my heart and laugh convincingly, like I have been caught off-guard by the neighbor’s darling cat wandering in my own gardens, and comment on how something so mundane as his eyes seemed like a fragment of God’s promised heavenly peace, and not clods of mud. If there seems to be mistrusting faces in the crowd, I then must steel myself and adopt the mannerisms of our Mother whenever she spoke praises of us to good company; the fake tears and smiles smothered by a handkerchief that dropped after the servants had escorted our guests out of the parlor. The old ladies shall then be so deceived that they will fall over themselves with their excitement to meet him, once the winter has passed, and then a few precisely-planted words will set them off talking about their own menaces. Curtains drawn, I may exit, and think not of the babe until another old lady grows curious, or the nannies, simple as they are, fail to keep him quiet at night…
…When I first saw him, I saw not a baby but a fat, unmoving slab of wrinkles surrounded by the aftermath of an explosion of stringy blood…
From an unsent letter drafted by Anna Magdalena Pyroscythe in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England, made out to Sophie Charlotte Klein in Berlin, Germany, translated from German, dated December 3rd, 1782
by eclipsed_deoxi_22
Dear Sir,
My humble duty remembered and at last made time for, I write to you to report on the academic progress of your son made in the last year at Harrow School. Jack has shown great strides in the studies of Latin and Greek, and is able to write full letters in both languages with advanced vocabulary. He shows slight weakness and laziness in the subjects of arithmetic and geometry, but he has shown good improvement since Mr. Jones recommended him to moderate birching and writing lines with the rest of the lazy boys once a week after class. I expect to see him progressing at a regular pace within the year. Lastly, he shows mastery in the subjects of history, literature, and writing, with all his teachers praising him heartily for his diligence and aptitude during class and recommending him for advanced courses; his future in these subjects seems bright.
In these regards he is a model student, with natural skill supplemented with genuine passion beyond that of his classmates—however, some of his behavior is worrying. Jack was recently caught providing answers for assignments in history and literature to another school boy a few years older, Czeslaw Kowalski, which is a clear violation of our academic code. They have both been reprimanded with repeated flogging and daily lines after classes in order to discourage them from future academic dishonesty, but the event has repeated enough times as to be worrying, and Jack still protests to the overseeing teacher that he has been coerced and is thus not to blame for his transgressions. Mr. Bennett expects this attitude to be disciplined out of him soon enough, but it would have been remiss of me to not inform you of this.
Additionally, Mr. Hall, one of our teachers of history, expressed concerns to me about a recent assignment of Jack’s, in which students were to write a paper on a historical topic of their choice, with the expectation that they would delve deeper into one of the historical events or empires the class had learned about over the year; however, his paper was a chronology and analysis on English myths and lore, over double the length of his classmate’s work. Though our institution does not believe in demonic possession, the subject of his research did raise concerns of that sort, and Jack’s excitement while discussing his paper only further disturbed Mr. Hall. Be it assured, Sir—Jack was swiftly and strictly punished with the cane for his macabre interest and has been assigned to remedial religious studies, which have led to a marked improvement in his choices of interest. At Mr. Hall’s insistence, Jack was permitted to redo the project with a more appropriate topic; he cited Jack’s academic strength and general character as reasoning, as he is of the firm belief that your son has a bright future in the academic study of history, and the potential to become the author of the textbooks he himself uses.
I tell you this, Sir, to emphasize how brilliant of a student Jack is, despite his odd behavior, and how the teachers look favorably on him. He has taken great strides this year and is fit to grow to become a true, academic gentleman. I sincerely commend you for having raised such a boy and wish you an enjoyable Harvest Holiday.
Yours with utmost respect,
Sir William Browning, Headmaster of Harrow School
From a letter attached to the next, sent from William Browning in London to Franz Heinrich Pyroscythe in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, dated June 17th, 1796
by eclipsed_deoxi_22
Letters between Apo and Cherri
By sylviaistried
Cleo's journal
By sylviaistried
Dear boy,
I have received, with great disappointment, your yearly report from the Headmaster of Harrow School. I expressed to you clearly my wishes for your improvement in the subject of arithmetic, as it is necessary for the prosperity of my business when you take charge of it. The other subjects matter significantly less, bar writing– my displeasure is soothed by the knowledge that you are proficient in that subject. I recommend you switch your focus to the study of mathematics and writing exclusively for my business, lest you drive it into the ground. And please, leave the interest of folklore and mythology behind you; it won’t help you in the coal-mining business, and it only serves to embarrass us all. Remember that you are my sole heir, and it is on you which I depend to carry on not only my business but the family name.
The headmaster wrote to me about academic dishonesty. I recall in our last letter that you complained to me about a group of boys who had been nagging you for assistance with their schoolwork, and I informed you that the only way to put an end to the issue was to prove the Pyroscythe’s strength over their own– yet I doubt that you have taken my advice with the seriousness I gave it to you. My father gave me the advice, and it served me enough for me to found and run this business of mine, which I shall remind you is now the most prosperous one in Northumberland, and it shall prove just as useful to you if only you listen. Clearly, it proves useful to the Kowalski boy, as dull as he is. The only way to succeed in this world, boy, is to be ruthless.
My regards to the boys at school,
Sir Franz Heinrich Pyroscythe
From a letter sent from Franz Heinrich Pyroscythe in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, to Jack Pyroscythe in Harrow School, London, England, dated July 3rd, 1796
by eclipsed_deoxi_22
"Something to note about English boarding schools in the Georgian era is that they were not places of peace. Aside from the severe corporeal punishment dished out by headmasters and teachers, often designed to publicly humiliate children, older boys would often treat younger ones as servants, forcing them to do any manner of tasks under threat of physical violence. Teachers, headmasters, and parents were all complacent in the face of this, and often encouraged it as character-building rites of passage.
All this to say, Jack did learn to be ruthless. "
-J. P.
From J.P's journal
by eclipsed_deoxi_22
…I recall reinforcing in your childhood the significance of discipline and respecting one's elders. Were you too absorbed in your business and life in England to impress these values onto your heir? That heir which has now left you, and your business, and your aging wife alone? If I were in your place, I might scrounge up some pride; if nothing else, know that you have raised a son who has the strength to take a stand against another man, and the ruthlessness to go through with his actions, a trait I cannot imagine he learned from you…
…I am looking forward to seeing what your son does now that he is free, and hoping that he of all my progeny brings great pride to the Pyroscythe name…
Letter sent from Hans Wilhelm Pyroscythe in Berlin, Germany, to Franz Heinrich Pyroscythe in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England, dated September 23rd, 1804
by eclipsed_deoxi_22
An old photograph of vampire Apo and her beloved Cherri.
By Mycota
An old weathered letter adressed to Cherri.
By Mycota
Transcript
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